Medicines

Under the Austrian Medicines and Medicinal Products Import Act, pharmaceutical products may only be imported to Austria by pharmacies and entities that are authorised to distribute medicines and medicinal products.

For this reason, private travellers are not permitted to carry medicines as a matter of principle. This rule applies when entering Austria from both non-EU and EU countries.

The term “medicines” is not limited to products available in Austrian pharmacies, but also includes, in particular:

• Herbal medicinal preparations based on one or more active substances, produced by subjecting a plant or parts thereof to a process such as drying, crushing, extraction or purification,
• Homeopathic medicinal preparations, and
• Vitamins or mineral preparations based on vitamins or minerals, including trace elements and mixtures thereof, which are used to treat or prevent specific diseases, ailments or their symptoms. Such preparations (which are often referred to as supplements) contain a much higher amount of vitamins or minerals, generally at least three times higher than the recommended daily allowance (RDA).

 Travellers residing abroad may carry those medicines into Austria which they require for their own personal needs or to meet the needs of a pet travelling with them.

For further information please refer to the website of the Austrian Ministry of Health.